Judeans in Sippar and Susa during the First Century of the Babylonian Exile: Assimilation and Perseverance under Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Rule

A study of cuneiform tablets from Susa and Sippar reveals distinct patterns of name adoption among Judean exiles under Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid rule, indicating both assimilation and perseverance. While merchants in Sippar abandoned Judean names for Babylonian theophoric ones within a generation—likely due to economic integration with conservative Babylonian elites—royal officials in Susa maintained Yahwistic names despite their fathers' use of Babylonian names, suggesting tolerance for ethnic diversity in Achaemenid administration. The research analyzed 6th-century BCE tablets, highlighting the interplay between cultural assimilation and institutional openness during exile.

Bloch, Y. (2014). Judeans in Sippar and Susa during the First Century of the Babylonian Exile: Assimilation and Perseverance under Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Rule. Journal of Ancient near Eastern History, 1(2), 119–172. https://doi.org/10.1515/janeh-2014-0005